In a conflict for nan ages, nan No. 1-seed Indiana Hoosiers fended disconnected nan No. 10-seed Miami Hurricanes connected Monday successful nan College Football Playoff National Championship, winning 27-21.
The triumph gave Indiana its first title successful football, capping disconnected a cleanable play that saw them go conscionable nan 3rd squad successful assemblage shot history to station a 16-0 record. In nan process, they took down 1 of nan biggest brands successful assemblage football, which was looking for its first title since 2001.
Being that it was a conflict betwixt a blue-blood looking to return to glory and a programme that opened nan twelvemonth arsenic nan losingest programme successful assemblage shot history, location was surely plentifulness of intrigue. How overmuch intrigue into nan crippled wasn't genuinely known until nan numbers were released by ESPN connected Thursday.
As announced by ESPN PR, nan crippled averaged 30.1 cardinal viewers and peaked astatine 33.2 million. A people that made it nan second-most-watched College Football Playoff title ever.
The 2026 #NationalChampionship ft. @CanesFootball & @IndianaFootball delivered:
Ā
š 30.1M viewers, 33.2M peak
š 2nd most-watched #CFBPlayoff title game
šŗ 2nd champion cablegram telecast ever
š Most-viewed nonāNFL sports arena since '16 World Series Gm 7
Ā
š https://t.co/IFdlYlrxmc pic.twitter.com/rLM3Yt9iIp
"The telecast, which was up 36 percent year-over-year, besides classed arsenic nan most-viewed non-NFL sports telecast since nan 2016 World Series Game 7," wrote ESPN. "The Hurricanes-Hoosiers showdown ranks arsenic nan 4th most-watched assemblage shot crippled successful nan past 30 years and nan eighth most-watched ESPN accumulation all-time. The assemblage peaked astatine 33.2 cardinal viewers successful nan first half."
This comes aft galore fans and analysts expressed interest complete nan truth that location wasn't an SEC programme successful nan game, and concerns complete nan truth that location was specified a agelong clip betwixt games.
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti smiles arsenic he is interviewed connected nan podium aft nan College Football Playoff National Championship. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
For nan 30+ cardinal fans that tuned in, they were treated to an instant classic. Miami was capable to erase a 10-0 shortage pinch a 57-yard touchdown tally by Mark Fletcher Jr., while nan Hoosiers appeared to person iced nan crippled pinch a blocked punt pinch 3:04 remaining successful nan 3rd quarter.
However, aft different Fletcher touchdown, Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza gave nan Hoosiers immoderate much breathing room pinch his heroic 12-yard touchdown tally connected 4th-and-4 pinch 9:18 remaining successful nan 4th quarter.
Miami yet had a chance to triumph nan crippled pinch nether a infinitesimal remaining, but backmost Carson Beck was picked disconnected astatine Indiana's 6-yard statement to seal nan deal.
The Hoosiers proved that successful this era of NIL and nan transportation portal, immoderate squad tin triumph it each if it gets nan correct level of finance from its programme and brings successful nan correct guys. Now is nan difficult portion for Indiana, arsenic they person to prolong nan success.
As for Miami, they person to fig retired what mini tweaks tin beryllium made truthful they are connected nan different broadside of nan scoreboard adjacent time.
Regardless, nan 2 teams delivered connected a awesome title that assemblage shot fans will retrieve for years.
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